Evaluating attitudes towards Ayurveda and Sri Lankan Indigenous Medicine (Deshiya Chikitsa) among working adults

Abstract

Sri Lanka has a pluralistic healthcare system. Allopathic medicine (synonym for the conventional, modern, or western medicine) currently dominates the Sri Lankan healthcare system. Ayurveda and indigenous Sri Lankan medicines (Deshiya Chikitsa) have been employed as complementary medicines. This descriptive crosssectional article evaluates the level of awareness, utilization, and preference for Ayurveda and Sri Lankan indigenous medicine among an adult working population in the Colombo district. The sample consisted of 154 individuals aged 20 to 59 years old selected from two Colombo workplaces. The participants completed a self-administered questionnaire that asked about their awareness, utilization, and preference for Ayurveda and Sri Lankan indigenous medicine. The outcomes were assessed using the criterion of demographic analysis. According to the findings of this article, the majority of participants (98.05%) are aware that Sri Lanka possesses alternative medical systems such as Ayurveda and Sri Lankan indigenous medicine, and that the source of such awareness is their parents. However, knowledge about the medicine’s use and effectiveness is limited. Despite this, 88.07% of participants have received Ayurvedic treatment or indigenous medicine from a qualified practitioner at least once in their lives, 60.93% would prefer to utilize them, and 87.42% would suggest Ayurveda and Sri Lankan indigenous medicines. This article also identifies and provides reasons for the lack of preference for Ayurveda and Sri Lankan indigenous medicine over conventional medicine, along with suggestions to enhance preference for Ayurveda and Sri Lankan indigenous medicine over conventional medicine.